A Year to Remember
by BreadCrumble
Summary: After the civil war, Elesis never asked for anything. She never asked to be Velder National School's batch president. She never wanted to have the task of helping out the transfer student. Elesis never asked to fall in-love with her as well. Eventual Ara x Elesis.
1. Just Met You

**I wasn't really planning to write another AraEle fic until I finished my LuAi fic. Unfortunately, I read two incredible school-AU AraEle fics online. These are "Breathless Autumn" by ForteDragon and "Distances Between" by MikeNolke.**

 **I will admit, I was screaming an equal amount of happy fangirl noises when I read both, despite my dislike for AU works. I kind of started writing my own school-AU story - but I'll leave an advanced apology for the sloppy work, considering I am no fan of this genre.**

 **However, I noticed how those two aforementioned fanfics featured YR x BH (Breathless Autumn) and GrM x As (Distances Between).**

 **I'm taking the challenge of making this CrA x SD.** **Yes, it's time to go all monotone-demon-berserk-woman-POV.**

* * *

 **Character Info:**

Elesis - Crimson Avenger

Ara - Sakra Devanam

Raven - Reckless Fist

Add - MasterMind

Chung - Deadly Chaser

LuCiel - Noblesse / Royal Guard

Eve - Code: Empress

Rena - Grand Archer

Aisha - Dimension Witch

Elsword - Infinity Sword

* * *

Velder National School: an average public school that houses about ten thousand students. Known for its subsidized but quality education, many teens are enrolled – albeit some forcefully – here, in the hopes to graduate and find a much better future outside this town. A once forsaken and war-torn suburb, Velder was recently restored and is slowly progressing to become like its neighboring city, Hamel.

It's infuriating how no one bothers recalling that war… except for me.

"And that's why the school should also be like the town!" Aisha's chortled. She was suggesting an increased budget for the school's long-due renovation. As much as I wouldn't want to care these brainless council meetings – I can't.

"Heeeey, president! A little help here?" From the corner of my eye, I could see that noisy purple-head's poor attempt in begging for my support. It's pointless for her to do such. Hell, even if my brother were to plead like that, I'd flat out say 'no' in 20 different languages.

To beg was to show one's weakness – something I vowed _never_ to do, nor encourage others to do.

"I think we shouldn't impose such to the administration," finally, a voice of reason. Ciel is a more reliable officer when it comes to these matters. Despite him being a more active member in public office, it makes me wonder why he only garnered the position of vice-president of the campus.

"Mh-hm~ I agree with him," I cringed at the sound of Luciela's voice. I tried to not make it evident, but Ciel probably caught my twitch of discomfort since he shook his head.

Luciela's family was once affiliated with 'Nomed', a political party that comprised of the aristocratic faction of the Solace Region. Most of its supporters wanted rulers who catered to their welfare (or greed, if you put it) – which was the pigheaded want of getting richer and richer.

The family that spearheaded this cause of wealth domination in Elrios was from Fahrmann. How I wish to wring my hands around their descendants. And what happens to us middle class and below?

Hah, no one would bother know, let alone care.

That brings me to the point on why I hate their lard-filled guts.

My father was a general in the Velder Corps. He was the suitable candidate to run against that wretched party. Father shouldered the pleas and cries of the peasant class, and he had the means to eradicate the corrupt ideas of those rich bastards. However, during election period, a civil war was instigated in Velder by those filthy upper-class. It was all staged, I was and am sure of that. I recall every detail, from the rising smoke I saw from our house in Ruben, to the smiling faces of those fucked-up nobles as they handed me my father's bloodied uniform.

It should be understandable on why I absolutely loathe their kind. Should anyone disagree… well, let's not talk about what happens to them after.

"Would you like to take a break, Elesis?" Ciel placed a hand on my shoulder. My guesses were right that he saw my smoldering glare at his closest friend, Lu. I rolled my eyes and rose from my desk. Everyone watched as I strode to the hallways. My feet dragged itself out the room, and I proceeded to the windowsill overlooking the school's quadrangle. Students rarely pranced around the school at this hour, considering that it was 4th period at the moment.

I leaned against the sill, hoping a nap would help me forget the day's events.

* * *

"I'm sure your presidential desk is a much comfier than the window pane." Ma'am Eve, the current school principal, silently commented. I don't know when she got here, but the meeting must have ended. I yawned. "I got elected to this position just because no one wanted it," I didn't want to say anything that was really on my mind. "You should feel flattered, half the student population would do anything for your spot in the committee."

I scoffed, "So you're saying that five thousand delinquents are eyeing my position as leader of the juveniles?" Have I forgotten to mention that our school was notorious of having numerous drop-outs? Gangs were never uncommon in public schools, after all.

"Nonsense!" Aisha cheerily called from the doorway. "You're a great leader, Elesis."

"Can it," I spat almost automatically. "There are classes on-going."

"Moving on, I have a task for you, Elesis Sieghart." A signature monotonous voice rung on. It felt like an incessant buzzing to my ears. She droned on that being a leader has its responsibilities, and that I must fulfill them as professionally as possible. I was half-listening until the school principal finally decided to cut short her own sermon. Ma'am Eve concluded her statement by imposing my first duty as newly-elected batch president.

"You are to guide Miss Ara Haan, the new student, around the school,"

"… Say that name again?" I prayed that my ears didn't hear right.

I slowly repeated said name. I mused at the thought, but my mind slowly clouded into anger. I opened my mouth to speak, but there were thousands of verbal barbs that I wanted to shout. All of them died on my lips. "The school accepts this late a transferee?" the purple-head absent-mindedly voiced out. The principal fixed her gaze to the shortest of us three. "The meeting is adjourned, kindly go back to your classes, Miss Aisha." She gave an indifferent shrug as the junior retreated from us.

When Eve – screw the damn honorifics for this uncalled task – was sure that we were alone, she continued.

"I understand you have an animosity towards the Haan family, as they are part of the ruling-"

"Then why?!" I didn't mask my infuriation. It maddened me that Eve knew, and yet she gave me such a job to carry out. My blood was boiling, and I wouldn't mind drenching both her and Haan in it – as long as they'd know how I felt.

"The sins of the father… or for her, it would be, _brother_ , are not the sins of their relatives," Eve dared to stare me down. "I don't care," I muttered, fingers massaging my temples while averting my eyes from hers. That was when she dropped the bomb.

"She has no more affiliations with 'Nomed.'"

"... Really?" I feigned nonchalance, but shock seemed to coat my words better.

"Although I will not overlook the fact that she was once one, she was never an active member in their propaganda for wealth," Eve then glanced to the side. "I'll fill you in with further details, but that's the gist of it." I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't form once again. "She even wanted to go under a pseudonym in order to renew her identity altogether," added Eve.

"Isn't this enough to show her courage and resolve to change?" I hated rhetorical questions, especially when it came from a Nasod.

"I'm not some tour guide for new students... so, she was disowned or something?" I wanted answers, but maybe I could ask these directly - if I really were going to be demoted to Haan's personal attendant.

"Help her in familiarizing with the school," Ma'am Eve instructed, completely dodging my question. "Be friendly, act like an approachable person and all," she continued. I mentally scoffed. "Besides, I think you'll li-" she covered her mouth a bit to chuckle.

I have never heard her do such before. Could Nasods laugh?

"Never mind," the principal waved her last statement off. "You better run along, Miss President," she eyed me a stern look. Then again, her face was always stoic and impassive. Serious or just plain normal was hard to distinguish with Eve. "I told her to drop by your class during lunch break," she turned away before I could speak again.

"Give a good first impression to her. You can do such by welcoming a little change in your way of living." Eve glanced one last time at me before leaving me for good. "Great, now what?" Her messages were always veiled in mystery. I scratched my head before punching the wooden door of the Student Council's room open. Unlike half an hour earlier, it was peaceful and silent – just the way I like it. I found myself loitering around the room; letting the events that had transpired replay in my head.

"So... she's no longer one of _'them_.'" I muttered silently. Strangely, I didn't feel angry or furious. I couldn't pin the correct emotion, but I kept questioning at how these events are fitting into place.

Confusion seemed accurate enough.

* * *

I glanced at the wall clock in the office. The principal was correct; it was 5 minutes before lunch. _"She'll meet me in the classroom, correct?"_ I paced back to the exit, but before I knew it, I felt the cold tiles digging on my back. The door was wide open. Through my darkening eyesight, I caught a glimpse of the assailant.

"Oh no! Are you alright?" I heard the ebony-haired maiden gasp.

"Shut up…" I mumbled, the pain shooting up my temples. I dragged a lead-heavy hand across my forehead. "A-Ah, you're bleeding." The newcomer exclaimed as she knelt in front of me.

When I meant 'in front', I meant my sprawled legs were between hers, and this strange girl brought her face dangerously close to mine. She whipped out a cloth from her pocket, and leaned over to wipe the blood off my face. _"Wait, blood?"_ I quickly brought my stained palm to eye-level. As my eyes dilated at the sight of red, my head went light. The last thing I saw, before my vision blanked completely, was the name 'Ara' on that bloodstained handkerchief.

"Was this all a coincidence?" I never knew the answer to such.

The next thing I knew was that I am staring at the school clinic's ceiling. My own forehead was covered in gauze. The nurse told me everything that happened and how that new student dragged my unconscious body here.

"So much for a first impression." I growled as I remembered her name.

* * *

 **1.5k words and I'm not even sure how this story will progress~ I promise to introduce all the character by the 3rd or 4th chapter. Just a headcanon for this AU that Nasods aren't robots - but their race is known for their stoic and serious personalities.**

 **~BreadCrumble**


	2. An Orange Box

**Aaaaaah I'm back! And to mark the start of my Christmas break, here is a new chapter. :3**

 **I hope it doesn't disappoint~**

* * *

" _Her again?_ " I sighed as I lifted the mysterious box from my table. It was barely the size of my palm.

" _Happy birthday, thank you for everything. From Ara._ " I silently read the neatly written words on the stationary attached to the package atop my desk. Upon entering the classroom, this was the first thing I saw propped on my tabletop. Before I could unwrap said box, my sides were suddenly grabbed.

"Oi Elsa, it's far too early for a Valentine's Day gift," Add, a friend of mine, joked from behind me. Wiggling out of his grasp, I eyed him a bemusedly. He chuckled and pointed at how the package was covered with scented orange paper. "Who are you sending that to?" the white-haired guy buried his right elbow onto my side. I groaned in dismay. Nosiness was something I did not like to experience at this time of the day.

"I'm the recipient," I replied shortly and pushed his prodding arm away.

"Really," Add took the box with a movement so quick. I didn't bother retrieve it back. He let out a muffled gasp when he saw the sender's name. Faint hints of laughter aside; he poked my side again. I placed my bag down and fixated myself on trying not to break his arm off. I hid my irritation from his actions by twirling my ballpen.

 _Remind me again why I'm friends with this guy?_

* * *

" _Weirdo."_

" _Freak-show!"_

 _It still burned in my mind how people used to torment Add. Kids my age would call him names and verbal abuse was not uncommon for him. People made fun of how he was unnaturally short and how he had lavender-colored hair. Well, as if my hair's color wasn't strange enough. The awkward scar that ran from the below his eye to down his chin was subject to ostracizing and name-calling The two of us attended the same elementary school but I never batted an eye about his predicament. I hated wimps like him._

 _But what I hated more were people picking on wimps like him._

 _One day, Add was eating in peace at the schoolyard. Several boys and girls approached and towered above him. Sounds like a corny-child-getting-bullied-situation, right?_

" _Did your mom dye your hair?" an oriental black-haired boy teased and shoved Add._

" _Oh wait, he doesn't have one!" countered a twin-tailed pinkette. She pulled on his white locks._

" _Hey! I said we aren't to hurt him!" A tanned raven-haired boy stormed right in the scene. His golden eyes were full of rage. Still sounds cheesy of a story right?_

 _Get this; he was the leader of their gang: Raven._

 _This guy lived the life of a thug as early as Bethma-knows-when. Raven had already beaten people twice his size, and his team was no joke as well. However, he lived with a policy of only dominating the strong and leaving the weak alone. He was furious at how his group was violating his principles._

 _Of course, it was hopeless, for even an 8-year old gang leader and a coward who couldn't harm a fly, to fend off against a group of ten hot-headed kids._

 _Fine, call it clichéd but I stepped in the fray. I felt like I had to. Perhaps it was a spur of the moment. Maybe I just wanted to be noticed._

 _Or maybe it was just my definition of justice._

 _I ran up to the oriental black-haired bully and rammed my knee against his jewels. In return, I was punched squarely in the face by the pink-haired girl mentioned earlier._

 _This came as a rude awakening for a certain lavender-haired boy._

 _A fight broke out, and I couldn't hide my wounds of victory from my father when I got home. Nothing serious really, just a few cuts and a black-eye. I wasn't a fist-fighter, but I did decent damage to my foes. A flurry of lectures was shot at me, and we were called by the school superintendent. The decision: I was expelled from school._

 _Correction, everyone involved was kicked out. Including Add._

 _I didn't really mind, considering I slugged the black-haired boy's shoulder bad. That was more than enough proof to have me get the boot, and I accepted the verdict. Come to think of it, I forgot his name. Well, he wasn't that good of a fighter since his name wasn't that memorable._

 _I stopped school indefinitely. Father ended up estranging himself from me and my brother by working full-time in the police force and on his political platform. I guess he just wanted to forget about my blunder. I went back to school when I turned 10. I've been studying in Velder Knights School since then._

 _Add tracked me down and started attending the same school as me. We were both 12 when we met again and we became close friends right away. How did that happened? I wish to question my 12-year-old-self. It was awkward at times but in totality, he's a guy who always has my back._

 _And it bites how he's now taller than me._

 _Soon enough, Raven enrolled in the same school that we were in, during my first year of senior high. Let's just say that we were the craziest trio of friends for the past two years._

* * *

Back to reality, I can see from my peripheral vision that Add was still inspecting the neatly-wrapped box. He then smirked knowingly and nudged even harder on my shoulder.

"Open it!" He coaxed.

"Later, the lecture will start soon," I countered monotonously – a tinge of impatience in my voice. Sometimes, he could be so wishy-washy about classes. I admit that he's a genius; acing every exam thrown at him. But to me, he acted immature for his IQ of 170. "Go back to your chair, Add."

"Come on, Elsa, it won't kill you to open it," he chided, still not moving from his spot.

"And suppose it does?" I retorted. "Knowing my past skirmish with her, I ended up with this," I combed away the red bangs that covered my gauzed temple. My lips twitched in annoyance as my friend pushed the box back onto my table. I picked up the box and sloppily slid it under my desk. What followed was him giving a light flick on my bandaged forehead. I flinched at the sudden touch, and sent a glare worth a thousand years of hell.

"Grumpy girl about her boo-boo," Add hit the bulls-eye, given the situation.

"If I said I was, will you get out of my sight?" I answered, facing away from him. "I already am," he called from his seat – the one exactly behind mine. Today, he was getting under my skin, and I disliked it when he acted that way. Maybe it was the weather that made me particularly more irritated than usual. I wouldn't know.

Or perhaps it had something to do with the Haan girl.

 _"Yeah it's gotta be about her. She's late._ _Being early was never in her book_ _."_

Tardy students are always the bane of the start of my day. As if to interrupt my thoughts, I heard the loud thumping of shoes from the corridor; a student was trying to beat the school bell. Not just any student, it's obviously _her_. I myself made a double-check that she wasn't on her seat: the desk to my right was unoccupied.

" _Looks like I'll have my ears grilled again."_

My palm met my face. Eve had admonished me several times already for Haan's tardiness. Keeping silent would be my only option – as if I don't do that ninety percent of the time – as she'd lecture me over someone else's mistakes. Of course, Ara Haan would vehemently apologize afterwards. I'd ignore them, obviously, since that was just another way of begging for something.

I stood and made my way to the door of the classroom. Waiting by the door jamb, I signaled to the teacher that I was taking the attendance. Professor Rena nodded and went back to writing on the chalkboard. Before the guilty student could run past the entrance, I grabbed them by the shoulder and pulled them in the room.

Not releasing my hold on the latecomer, I planned an ear-bleeding scolding for this girl. However, I was not able to say anything since this person spoke up first.

"Crazy bastard!" Raven roughly held my wrist. I considered shouting back, only to realize that Ara Haan did not have a voice that was sandpapered thoroughly.

"Raven?" I inquired, as he gave me a questioning look. He muttered incoherent lines, and rumpled his own hair in exasperation. "You… don't do that again," Raven gritted his teeth and shrugged out of my grasp. Everyone started giggling, and whispers filled the room. My feet were frozen to the ground. I stared dumbly at the open door of the classroom.

" _Why do my cheeks feel like they're on fire?"_

"Hmm, Miss Haan went to the comfort room a while ago," Ma'am Rena stopped writing and cleared her throat. "She should be coming-"

Just on cue, the girl in question graced our presence. She stumbled a bit upon entering. As if on instinct, she grabbed the nearest thing for support – which was my left hand. Regaining her balance, she smiled sheepishly at the class, as they had their undivided attention steered to us.

"Let go," I coldly growled. Though a bit shaken by my tone, her eyes soon met mine. I peered at her golden eyes, which I expected both fear and apology to be plastered on them. But instead of giving in to those emotions, she smiled and led us both to our respective seats. I reluctantly went along, hoping that everyone would just mind their own business.

Once I found myself cradled on my chair, I then came to a realization. I stared edgily at the wrapped orange box under my table.

" _How else would she have placed this on my desk beforehand?"_

Although I knew that I should be annoyed at her, I felt a pang of guilt for not thanking her for the gift.

* * *

 **A/N: These two should just get together and make this fic M-rated. :")**

 **Well, expect more chapters to come. I'll be having more writing time because I have started to quit Elsword due to the unexplainable lag in the INT server. ; A ;**


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